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UK Faces 96% Solar Eclipse, NASA Plans 2026 Study

8/9/2026

Summary

UK Eclipse Tonight

A solar eclipse will cross the United Kingdom on Wednesday evening, covering up to 96% of the Sun, with 95% in Plymouth and 98.01% on Ireland’s Skellig Michael around 6:08 pm.
The UK Health Security Agency advises ISO 12312-2:2015(E) eclipse glasses or pinhole projectors, while astronomers suggest western spots such as Parliament Hill or rooftops.
First UK eclipse since 1999 and last until 2081; Ireland’s next total eclipse will not occur until September 2090.

Summary

NASA Launches

NASA will launch balloons and a high-altitude jet on August 12 2026 to study atmospheric and coronal effects, said program manager Kelly Korreck.
The August 12 2026 partial eclipse will be visible in 20 U.S. states, peaking at 37 % in Fairbanks, Alaska and 28 % in Presque Isle, Maine.
Scientists note that even modest eclipses cause measurable temperature drops and animal-behavior changes, prompting use of the August 12 event as a natural laboratory.

History

Historical Context

In May 1919, two teams—Arthur Eddington’s on Príncipe and a Brazilian group at Sobral—observed the total solar eclipse to test Albert Einstein’s 1915 prediction of light bending. Their photographs measured a deflection of about 1.75 arcseconds, matching Einstein’s theory and convincing the Royal Society and Royal Astronomical Society at a November 1919 meeting. The episode set a century-long precedent for eclipse-driven tests, echoed by today’s NASA balloon mission.

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UK Eclipse Tonight

A solar eclipse will cross the United Kingdom on Wednesday evening, covering up to 96% of the Sun, with 95% in Plymouth and 98.01% on Ireland’s Skellig Michael around 6:08 pm.
The UK Health Security Agency advises ISO 12312-2:2015(E) eclipse glasses or pinhole projectors, while astronomers suggest western spots such as Parliament Hill or rooftops.
First UK eclipse since 1999 and last until 2081; Ireland’s next total eclipse will not occur until September 2090.

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